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` '(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. MENDBNHALL. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

No. 412,;859. v :Patented 001;. 29, .1889.'

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STORE SERVICE APPAEAEUS.

No. 413,859. Patented oat. 29,1889.

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Hummm `UNITED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MENDENHALnyOE CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR To THE MENDEN-l HALL STORE SERVICE COMPANY, OE sAME PLACE STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION aiming part of Letters Patent No. 418,859, dated october` 29, 1889.

i I Application filed July 13, 1888. Serial No. 279,811. (No model.)

` To a/ZZ whom it may concern; f

Be it known that 1,-WILLIAM MENDENIIALL, a citizen of the United States, residing atCincinnati, in the-county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Store-'Service Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciication. l i f My invention relates to that class of storelservice apparatus in which a carrier .is propelled upon a way or wire, and carries beneath it a detachable receptacle for the articles to be transported; and it has for its object the provision of simple and efficient devices for raising and lowering' the receptacle to and from the carrier and automaticallyattaching and detachingit, aswell as improvements in the general construction and mode of operation of the device.

The novelty of my Invention will be herewith set forth, and distinctly pointed out in the claims. Y

, In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a store-service apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 isaperspective view ofthe same with the carrier and basket removed.4 Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7,89, 10, 11, 12, 13,14, and 15 are enlarged details of the parts, to be referred to more particularly hereinafter. Fig. 16 represents a modification in the construction to be referred to hereinafter.

The same letters are used to indicate identical parts in all the figures.

The frame-work at the transmitting end Yis composed of` a pendent post A, preferably tubular, secured to the ceiling or other horizontal support, andhaving attached to itby means of a socket a, adjustable, if desired, a horizontal arm B, in this instance tubular, in line with and directly over the wayl or transporting-wire C, of the usual or any suitable construction, and in this instance secured to a bracket-plate D, attached to the lower end of the post A.' It is of course understood that the opposite or .receiving end of the way or wire may be secured to a framework in all respects'theI duplicate of that shown and so far described and to behereinafter described, or it may be secu'red in any suitable manner.

Secured to and extending laterally and downwardly from the arm B are two arms E, with flattened perforated ends, in which are journaled small grooved pulleys b.

The basket or parcel-receptacle elevator is a rectangular frame composed of two end bars c'and two side bars d. Cords e, attached to the ends of the bars c, pass up over the pulleys l), and, converging, vare attached to or merged into a single cord f, passed over a single grooved pulley g, journaledin a hood or guide housing h, attached or clamped to the post A. The lower end of the cordf is provided with a grasping-handle t', in this instance weighted to counterbalance the elevator, and where found desirable an eye may Vbeapplied to the lower end of said handle to engage with a hook upon the counter.

By reference to Figs. 10, 13, land 1 4: the construction of the pulley 'g and its supporting and guiding hood will be readily understood. The hood, as seen in Figs. 10 and 14, is recessed, as at j, to receive snugly the flanges of the pulley g,

which is made spool-shaped, f

thereby preventing'the cord f or the four cords e from catching over the iianges as the elevator is raised orlowered. The lower sides of the hood extend below the horizontal diameter ofthe pulley, and their outer edges are beveled or rounded off, as seen by the brokenaway portion of Fig. 13,to.prevent wear upon the cord'or cords and to. more properly guide the'same over the pulley. v

p The carrier-frame is composed of ahorizontal bar F, with beveled latch-hooks lo upon its ends; upwardly-projecting lugs l, between which are journaled grooved pulleys m, resting and traveling upon the wire C; hangers G, beveled and slotted at their ends to form hooks for the automatic attachment and detachment of the basket by the raising and lowering of the elevator, as presently described, and curved propelling-fingers n, straddling the wire C, for engagement with the propellingsprings, as presently described.

. ported by the of the usual or any suitable construction, adapted to be supported and raised and lowered by the'elevator-frame. I have shown it as constructed of woven wire and with its sides beveled or rounded in to make it smaller at the bottom, so as to fit between and be supbars d, (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) and the bars c are provided with outwardly-extending guide-plates e for guiding the basket to its seat in the receptacle. Secured at each outer end of the basket at its middle and near the top is a plate o, Fig. 8, from which projects an inclined lug p, and the lower end of each of the hangers G of the carrier-frame is beveled oit in the direction of the upper side of the lug p, so that as the elevator is drawn up with its basket the lugs p come in contact with the beveled portion of the hangers and push the latter aside, thereby tilting the carrier on its wire. (See Fig. 9.) An inclined slot q is formed in the lower end of each hanger G, constituting with its beveled under side a hook r, and a curved latch s, pivotcd as at t, and with its upper end passed through a slot in a rib u on the hanger, covers the mouth of the slot q and projects slightly beyond the point of the hook. A pin r, Fig. 4, passed through a slot w in the upper arm of the latch, limits its play. As soon as the lugs p in the raising of the basket have passed the point of the hook r, (see Fig. 5,) they engage with the latches s, and the carrier-frame, being freed, drops back by gravity to a vertical position, bringing the hooks r under the lower edges of the lugs p, so that by lowering the elevator-frame the lugs p slide into the slots q, and the basket is thus automatically attached to the carrier. (See Fig. 4.) The elevator is now lowered from engagement with the basket, and the carrier and its basket are then propelled on the way C to their destination. To detach and lower the basket, it is only necessary to draw up the elevator-frame and lift the basket thereby until the lugs p have passed up out of the slots q, thereby pressing aside the carrier and the latches s until the lower edges of the lugs have passed above the latches. The latches will then drop by gravity over the slots q and the end of the hook. (See Fig. 7.) lVhen the elevator frame and basket are lowered, the lower side of the lugs p will bear against the upper inclined sides of the latches s and tilt the carrier to one side to permit the elevator and basket to descend, as will be readily understood. By means of the flat inclined lugs p and slots q, in which they snugly tit, the basket. becomes rigidly attached to the carrier and cannot have independent vibration.

As a modification in the construction, reference is made to Fig. l5, where the latch s, instead of being hook-shaped and pivotcd at the lower end of the slot in the hanger, is

substantially straight and pivotcd at a point above the upper end o l" the hook, and the lugs p, instead of being flat and inclined, are simply projecting pins. The operation is, however, the same, as will be readily understood.

To propel the carrier with its basket from one end of the way to the other, I provide a bell-crank latch I, Figs. l, 3, and ll, which is hung on the wire C and provided with a grooved pulley a', around which a cord b', fastened at one end to the bracket D, is passed and extends back over a second grooved pulley c', journaled in the bracket D, and has its lov/er end provided with any suitable grasping-handle. Springs J, of rubber or other material,have their rear ends secured to hooked pins CZ', Fig. Il, projecting from the latch I, and their forward ends to hooks K, Fig. 12, secured to the forward arm E, and serve to hold the bell-crank latch drawn forward in engaging position for the hook upon the adjacent end of the bar F of the carrier. This engagement is shown in Fig. l. Another spring L, having its forward ends secured to the front arm E, engages with the curved fingers n. Upon drawing down the cord b the bell-crank I, together wit-h the carrier and basket, are drawn back toward the postA and the springs J and L are put under tension until the upright arm of the bell-erank'comes in contact with the lower portion of the post A, whereupon the bell-crank is tilted and the carrier released. The retraction of the spring L thereupon propels the carrier to the opposite end of the line, and upon releasing the cord Z2 the retraction of the springs J draws forward the bell-crank I into engaging position. The carrier and basket are propelled with sulioient force to eleet the automatic engagement of the former with the bell-crank at the opposite end of the line, as will be readily understood.

Instead of having lugs orpins at both ends of the basket to engage with two hangerhooks, the construction shown in Fig. 1G may be employed, where the basket is provided with a bail having a central lug or pin upon a single hanger and having a single releasing'- latch, as will be readily understood.

While I have provided novel devices for the automatic disengagement of the basket from the hanger, it will be understood that the means described for effecting the automatic engagement of the basket with the hanger may be advantageously employed where other devices for its disengagement are used.

Having thus fully I claiml. In a store-service apparatus, a carrier having a hanger provided atits lower end with a hook rigid with the hanger, in combination with an elevator-frame and a detachable basket carried thereby and providedv with a projection arranged, when the basket is elevated,to tilt the hook and hanger to one described my invention,

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side'and become automatically engaged with said hook, substantially as and for the purpose described. A -1 `2. In a Vstore-service apparatus, a carrier having -a 4hanger provided with a beveled lower side and an inclined slotto form a hook, in combination with an elevator-frame and a basket carried thereby and provided with a projection arranged, when the basket is elevated, to bear against the lower beveled side of the hanger to tilt the same and become automaticallyv engaged therewith, substantally as and for the purpose described.

3. In a -store-service apparatus, a carrier having a hanger provided with a beveled lower side and an inclined slot to forni a hook, in combination with an elevator-frame and a basket carried thereby and provided with an inclined lug arranged, when the basket is elevated, to bear against the lower beveled side of the hanger to tilt the saine and become automatically engaged therewith and'rigidly held therein, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a store-service apparatus, a carrier having a hanger provided at its lower end with a hook, and a latch extending over the point of said hook, in combination with an elevator-frame and a basket carried thereby and provided with 'a projection arranged, when the-basket is elevated and lowered, to tilt the hook to one side and become auto` matically engaged therewith and disengaged therefrom, substantially as and for'the purpose described. t

5. In a store-service apparatus, a carrier having a hanger provided at its lower end with a hook and a Vgravitating-latch extending over the point of said hook, in combination with an elevatonframe and a basket carried thereby, and provided with a projection arranged, when the` basket is elevated and lowered, to -tilt the hanger to one side and become automatically engaged with and disengaged from said hook, substantially as andA for the purpose described.

6. In a store-service apparatus, the carrierhanger having a beveled lower side and provided with an inclined slot' to form a hook, and a gravitating latch extendingacross-the mouth of said slot, in combination with an elevator-frame and a basket carried thereby, and provided with a projection arranged, when the basket is elevated and lowered, to bear against the lower beveled side of said hanger to tilt the same to one side and become automatically engaged with and disengaged from i said slot, substantially as and for the purpose described.

V'7. In a store-service apparatus, a' carrier having a hanger provided with a beveled lower side and an inclined slot to form a hook, and a gravitating latch extending across the mouth of said slot, in combination With an elevator-frame and a basket carried thereby,

and provided with an inclined lug arranged, when the basket is elevated and'lowered, to` bear against the lower beveled side of the hanger to tilt the same and become automatically engaged with and disengaged from said hook, substantially as and for the purpose described.

, 8. -Ina store-service apparatus, the carrier having the hangers G, provided at their lower ends with the hooks 7', rigid therewith, and havin-g beveled lower sides, in combination with an elevator-frame and the detachable basket H, carried thereby, and provided with lugs 1o, arranged, when the basket is elevated, to bear against the lower beveled sides of the hooks and tilt the same to one side and become automatically engaged therewith, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a store-service apparatus, the carrier having the two hangers G, one at each end of the carrier, andvprovided at their lower ends with hooks, and the latches S, extending over the points of saidhooks, in combination with. the elevator-frame and the basket H, carried thereby, and provided with lugs p, arranged, when the basket is elevated `and lowered, to tilt the hooks to one side and become automatically engaged therewith and disengaged therefrom, substantially as and for the purpose described. l

10. In a store-service apparatus, an elevatorframe composed of the bars c d, the former provided with guide-plate e', in combination with a basket smaller at the bottom than at the top and adapted to fit between and be directly supported by said bars, substantially as described. Y

ll In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with the elevator-frame composed of the bars c d, of the operating-cords e, bars E, provided with pulleys b, the grooved pulley g, covered by the guide-housing h, and the cord f, connected to the cords e, substantially as described.

12. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with the carrier, of the bell-crank latch I, the springs J, connected to said latch by hooked pins d', the pulley c', and operating-cord b', substantially as and for the purpose specified. 13. The carrier provided with the two hangers G, one at each end of the carrier, said `hangers having the slots q, and latches s, pivot'ed to the lower end portions thereof, in combination with a basket having plates provided with inclined lugs p, and a' suitable elevator for raising and lowering said basket, substantially as described.

l14;. The carrier provided with the hangers G, having the ribs u, upwardly-inclined hooks o, and inclined slots q at the lower endof said hangers, and latches connected to saidV hangers and confined in slots in said ribs, in combination with a basket having plates pro-l vided with inclined lugs p, and a suitable ele- IOO IIO

Vator for raising and lowering` said baket, substantially as described.

15. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with the track-Wire C and the carrier 5 mounted thereon, and provided with the upwardly-projecting propelling-forks n, of the upright support A, the laterally-extending arm B, the arm E, secured to the outer end ot the arm B, the spring L, having its ends 1o' secured to the arm E and its loop resting on the track-Wire C, Jthe bell-crank latch I, the springs J, secured at one end to the bellcrank latch I and at lche other to the arm E ou oppositie sides of the track-wire C, and

the operating-oord b', substantially as and for 15 the purpose described.

WILLIAM MENDENHALL. Vitnesses':

CHARLES BILLON, W. C. JIRDINsToN.' 

